Portfolio Manager

UK Research and Innovation (UKRI); England; Hybrid; GBP 32,000 - 44,000; Full time

Benefits offered by this job

Hybrid working

Flexible working options

Pension scheme

Job summary

UKRI, via EPSRC, is seeking a Research Portfolio Manager to lead with universities, industry and government partners, coordinating decision-making, portfolio planning and community events. The role involves managing portfolios, funding processes and cross-UKRI collaboration, with a focus on delivering high-quality research and training.

The role requires strong problem solving, communication and stakeholder engagement skills, and offers hybrid working with a 23-month FTC.

Qualifications

• Assessment of problem solving and analytical skills.
• Effective communication (verbal, presentational and written).
• Ability to work as part of a team and influence others.

Responsibilities

• Gathering, understanding and integrating information about the research landscape and EPSRC portfolio.
• Operation of peer review and other formal decision-making processes.
• Managing strategic relationships with universities, business and government.
• Working across EPSRC/UKRI teams to ensure cross-portfolio understanding and joint initiatives.
• Monitoring, evaluating and reporting on activities and investments.
• Supporting senior colleagues with project development and delivery.
• Demonstrating creativity, adaptability and independent working with strong communication.

Skills

Problem solving

Analytical skills

Effective communication

Teamwork

Job description

Research Portfolio Manager
Engineering and Physical Sciences Research Council
Salary: £37,841 per annum Grade: UKRI D
Hours: Full time or Part time (minimum 0.6 FTE considered)
Contract type: 23 month FTC - projected requirement.
Hybrid working: Hybrid working is available in line with EPSRC/UKRI policy
Location: Polaris House, Swindon, Wiltshire
Closing date: 10th November 2026 (23:55)
Proposed interview date: Interviews will be held weeks commencing 30th November and 7th December. There will be no further stages of assessment.

About us

Are you passionate about research? Are you keen to work with researchers, business and Government to help support excellent research that delivers real impact for the economy and society?

Portfolio managers assist with the development and delivery of ideas for future activities and establish links with partners within universities and industry, to ensure we fund research of the highest quality and implement new, innovative research programmes. Portfolio managers also play a key role in managing our funding opportunities.

Portfolio managers may be part of our Research, Strategy, Innovation & Partnerships or Operations directorates:

• The Research directorate leads our support for discovery research, creating a diverse, inclusive and supportive environment to provide a variety of career pathways in research and innovations. Teams within this directorate cover the remits of Advanced Materials, Engineering, Healthcare Technologies, Information and Communication Technologies, Mathematical Sciences and Physical Sciences. The Research Infrastructure and Talent and Skills teams also contribute to delivering this part of EPSRC’s mission.

• The Strategy directorate leads on promoting a positive culture of cross-UKRI working that builds on disciplinary strengths in the research base and the strengths of our partnerships. Portfolio Managers working in this directorate can expect to be placed in teams covering cross-UKRI priorities including AI and Robotics, Clean Energy, Future Communications, Quantum Technologies and Sustainable Manufacturing & Mobility.

• The Innovation and Partnerships directorate leads and developing and managing our relationships with business, our international and regional engagement activities, public engagement and cross-cutting work on impact, resilience and security.

• The Operations directorate oversees effective, efficient delivery of data analysis, governance, monitoring and evaluation, grants peer review and strategic planning across EPSRC, working closely with teams across UKRI.

EPSRC is a team-based organisation, and no team or directorate works in silo. An important part of your role will be to coordinate with others to deliver results.

Purpose

As an EPSRC portfolio manager, you will work with the engineering and physical sciences research community to achieve our aim to put the UK at the forefront of international research.

Portfolio managers may be part of our Research, Strategy, Innovation & Partnerships or Operations directorates:

The Research directorate leads our support for discovery research, creating a diverse, inclusive and supportive environment to provide a variety of career pathways in research and innovations. Teams within this directorate cover the remits of Advanced Materials, Engineering, Healthcare Technologies, Information and Communication Technologies, Mathematical Sciences and Physical Sciences. The Research Infrastructure and Talent and Skills teams also contribute to delivering this part of EPSRC’s mission.

The Strategy directorate leads on promoting a positive culture of cross-UKRI working that builds on disciplinary strengths in the research base and the strengths of our partnerships. Portfolio Managers working in this directorate can expect to be placed in teams covering cross-UKRI priorities including AI and Robotics, Clean Energy, Future Communications, Quantum Technologies and Sustainable Manufacturing & Mobility.

The Innovation and Partnerships directorate leads and developing and managing our relationships with business, our international and regional engagement activities, public engagement and cross-cutting work on impact, resilience and security.

The Operations directorate oversees effective, efficient delivery of data analysis, governance, monitoring and evaluation, grants peer review and strategic planning across EPSRC, working closely with teams across UKRI.

You will be given responsibility for one of EPSRC’s portfolios, with the opportunity to manage your own projects and develop new activities. Your role will be varied: establishing links with universities and industry, managing our decision-making processes and policies to ensure we fund research and training of the highest quality, and planning and implementing community events to develop new, innovative, research programmes.

You will work closely across EPSRC and UKRI teams, as well as often working with UK government departments. Interaction with external stakeholders including universities and businesses is an important part of the role.

Main outputs and activities

Your responsibilities will include:

• Gathering, understanding and integrating internal and external information about the research and innovation landscape and the EPSRC portfolio
• Operation of peer review and other formal decision-making processes
• Managing strategic relationships with key stakeholders in universities, business and government, representing EPSRC and UKRI in external networks and meetings
• Working across teams within EPSRC and across UKRI to ensure cross portfolio understanding and joint initiatives as appropriate as well as implementing strategy and other programmes of work
• Monitoring, evaluating and reporting on activities and investments to feed into planning
• Supporting senior colleagues with development of projects and implementation of plans, coordinating and operating processes supporting delivery across EPSRC.
• We will consider high-calibre individuals who can demonstrate the potential to succeed. You may be from a research or research support background, or have equivalent education, training, or professional development. You will be a creative problem solver who works effectively independently and with colleagues, as well as an excellent communicator who can manage time effectively.
  

Essential Criteria

(S) – Assessed at shortlisting (I) – Assessed at interview (S&I) – Assessed at both shortlisting and interview

Assessment of the following essential skills will be made via shortlisting, and an in-person interview which will include a presentation:

• Problem solving and analytical skills, including a focus on successful outcomes (S)
• Effective communication skills (verbal, presentational and written) (S&I)
• Ability to work as part of a team, supporting others through behaviour and empathy to deliver goals (S&I)
• Capability to demonstrate how activities contribute to the wider strategic objectives of an organisation and external stakeholders (S&I)
• Experience in leading delivery of activities to achieve wider goals, including appropriate planning, making effective decisions and influencing others (S&I)
• Creativity, adaptability and willingness to change. (I)

Further Information

Successful candidates will be placed in a team following interviews. We will endeavour to provide information of team vacancies at interview stage should you wish to express a preference, though we will not be able to guarantee to honour all preferences. Your application and performance through this recruitment process may be used for other Portfolio Manager (Grade D) opportunities that arise within an appropriate timeframe.

For further information please contact Joe Shearring (EPSRC Co-Chair Assessment Centre and Head of Regional Engagement) who is leading this recruitment [e-mail]

Hybrid Working

These posts are based at our Swindon office. Hybrid working is available with regular office attendance, travel to external visits and meetings and occasional travel across UKRI offices. At times, this may involve overnight stays and occasional work outside of standard office hours.

EPSRC portfolio managers are expected to spend 40-60% of contracted hours on‑site, averaged across the year. On‑site means working at Polaris House or, as business need requires, travelling to other UKRI workplaces, external events, government departments, universities, businesses or other relevant partner organisations.

We welcome applications from candidates with special requirements.

Benefits

We recognise and value our employees as individuals and aim to provide a favourable pay and rewards package. We are committed to supporting employees' development and promote a culture of continuous learning!

A list of benefits below:

• An outstanding defined benefit pension scheme.
• 30 days' annual leave in addition to 10.5 public and privilege days (full time equivalent).
• Employee discounts and offers on retail and leisure activities.
• Employee assistance programme, providing confidential help and advice.
• Flexible working options.
• Plus many more benefits and wellbeing initiatives that enable our employees to have a great work life balance!

For further information on our benefits please see: Benefits of working at UK Research and Innovation (UKRI)

UKRI is an Equal Opportunity & Disability Confident Employer.

Please note, if you will require sponsorship to work in the UK, as part of your sponsorship application, you and any dependants travelling with you, will be required to pay costs directly to The Home Office for the application before you start your role with us. UKRI is normally able to reimburse some, or all of these fees after you have become an employee, and this can be discussed with the Hiring Manager. For more information, please visit https://www.gov.uk/skilled-worker-visa/how-much-it-costs or contact [e-mail].

UKRI - UK Research and Innovation

UKRI is an organisation that brings together the seven disciplinary research councils, Research England and Innovate UK. Together, we build an independent organisation with a strong voice and vision ensuring the UK maintains its world-leading position in research and innovation.

Supporting some of the world’s most exciting and challenging research projects, we develop and operate some of the most remarkable scientific facilities in the world. We are pushing the frontiers of human knowledge through fundamental research and delivering benefits for UK society and the economy through world-class research, skills and business-led innovation.

More information can be found at www.ukri.org.

Choosing to come to work at UKRI means that you will have access to a whole host of benefits from a defined benefit pension scheme, excellent holiday entitlement, access to employee shopping/travel discounts and salary sacrifice cycle to work scheme. For more details, visit benefits of working for UKRI.

How we support EDI in the workforce

At UKRI, we believe that everyone has a right to be treated with dignity and respect, and to be provided with equal opportunities to thrive and succeed in an environment that enables them to do so. We also value diversity of thought and experience within inclusive groups, organisations and the wider community. For further information, please visit ‘How we support EDI in the workforce’.

Disability Confident Employer

As users of the disability confident scheme, any candidate who opts into the scheme and best meets the essential criteria, will be shortlisted for interview. We will ensure that individuals with disabilities are provided reasonable accommodation to participate in the job application or interview process, to perform essential job functions, and to receive other benefits and privileges of employment. Please contact us to request accommodation.

UKRI seeks to ensure it creates and maintains a system of openness, fairness and inclusion – a collaborative, trusted environment, which is attractive to and accessible to everyone who is interested in developing their career with us.

Artificial intelligence can be a useful tool to support your application, however, all examples and statements provided must be truthful, factually accurate and taken directly from your own experience. Where plagiarism has been identified (presenting the ideas and experiences of others, or generated by artificial intelligence, as your own) applications may be rejected and internal candidates may be subject to disciplinary action.

As part of the pre-employment checks there is a requirement to undergo Baseline Personnel Security Screening. BPSS is a pre-condition of employment and failure to achieve it may mean that the employment offer is rescinded. UKRI reserves the right to run, or re-run, security clearance as required during the course of employment.